Looking Back: 4th of July 2014

The 4th of July started out with my first 10k! It was pretty exciting and I was pretty proud. It almost didn't happen because I was injured a couple days before. I tried running the night before and still hurt but tried again the morning of and I actually was fine. I was nervous about running but Rob convinced me to do it - I was so glad he did because I didn't hurt at all during the race. 

I ran pretty much right past our house (and along the parade route) where Rob snapped this photo of me leading the pack. That's a big joke. I was just happy to be still smiling at this point in the race, a little over half way.

Yay! I did it!

I was initially nervous to run by myself (I've run my 5ks with Rob) but it was pretty cool to hang out at the finish line by myself and reflect for a few moments about my accomplishment. I don't even look too dead, huh.

Back home with my fans. I think I convinced Henry that I won the race.

The big event in Provo is the parade. Seriously, everyone attends this parade- and it's kind of lame and way too long. I think that maybe if you wanted to break into someone's house to steal all their belongings, during this parade would be a good time to do it. I did like that it was just a few feet from our house and I liked that it was good for photo-ops like this one. Almost a Norman Rockwell.

I was a tiny bit homesick these couple of days knowing that I was missing out on some of my favorite family/Seattle traditions. We learned, however, that there is a perk to being one of the few families without anything to do on the 4th of July: the water park is virtually empty! We didn't think about going until the afternoon and it was the least crowded, by far, that I've seen it. It was so awesome spending our last few hours of the day together there.

As much as I love the 4th of July, I don't care much for the firework part of it. And living in Provo where the huge loud aerial ones are legal made me a bigger ba-hum-bug about it. We're talking a fireworks out our window every evening for a week). Luckily Rob cared enough to find neighbors who were letting off fireworks that evening for Henry to enjoy it a bit.

It turned out to be a great holiday and I look forward next year. I'll probably even go back to the parade next year, since all of Provo is there anyway, I might as well! I'll be sure to lock my door next time in case anyone thinks of my idea!

Utah Bucket List: General Conference

We've both attended Conference in Salt Lake before, but it's been years so we really wanted to go again while we live in Utah. I don't know easy it is for Utah residents to get tickets, we got ours from Rob's parents (the tickets given to their stake in Washington). It's nice to have connections. Sorry people in Silverdale Stake. What's even better is that they were in town too, so they watched our kiddos while we attended the Sunday morning session! Rob also was able to attend the Priesthood session the evening before with his Dad. We invited our friends, the McDonnels, to come with us because we had an extra pair of tickets.

First off- Dear Ensign editors, feel free to use this very genuine photo of me taking notes at conference in the November issue of the magazine.

Lots of Mormons here.

Lots.

Looking Back: Farrar cousins!

At the end of June the most wonderful thing happened: the Farrar family came to visit us! I still can't believe that they made a detour from Ohio to Washington to spend time with us! It was a quick couple-day visit but it was so good to spend time with Jacob and Lisa, to see the kids (meet the twins!), to have them be in our little world, and especially have the cousins be together! Thanks so much you guys!

I didn't want to edit out any of these photos, I just love seeing these cousins together. Henry was so so happy to be with them. Aren't cousins the best friends ever?!

Utah Bucket List: Pizzeria 712

We received a gift card from Rob's parents for Pizzeria 712, yet another restaurant on our bucket list. We actually went in mid-July but I'm just finally getting around to posting about it.

I don't know the official history of Provo dining (okay, this is actually Orem but it should be Provo) but it seemed to me that Pizzeria 712 was the first of the "new" (= since I left BYU) cool eateries. I kept hearing about this place from everyone and Rob and I wanted to go the couple times we visited Utah but just never did for some reason. Now that we live here, it was an obvious choice for our bucket list.

We did a couple things different for this dining experience: we went for lunch rather than dinner and we brought the kids. The lunch decision was a good one, that's when the menu includes the paninis (the BEST part of our meal!), but we could have done without the kids :)

Yum! I would definitely return, get a different pizza but the same panini, and leave the kids at home. Although we love them dearly. However, it did take us this long to get to Pizzeria 712, so I don't know if that will happen.

Looking back: sick Baby June

These pictures are from June 30th when June was so sick she wouldn't even eat a cracker! I can't remember much about it, actually, but her diaper must have been off because of a diaper rash. Her breathing was bad so we took her to the doctor who said it was a good thing I brought her in (thanks to the Spirit telling me to go, I'm not very good at thinking I need the doctor) because it may have progressed to being hospitalized. We got a prescription for a nebulizer, which treatments kept the difficult breathing at bay. (We've since needed it for both kids when they get sick... this might indicate asthma like I have....?). We sat on the couch for a few hours and watched movies. I felt so grateful that my schedule easily allowed for that.

It's so sad when babies are this sick, but the silver lining is that they give the best cuddles.  Even now as I look at these pictures I miss that day taking care of this sweet sick baby.